New Guinea impatiens plant named ‘Balcelilae’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Balcelilae’, characterized by its light purple-colored flowers; upright and mounded plant habit; good basal branching and dark green leaves.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of NewGuinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Balcelilae.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Arroyo Grande, Calif. The objective of the breedingprogram was to develop new cultivars with freely-branching growth habit,numerous large flowers, and attractive flower and foliage colors.

The new Impatiens originated from a cross made by the Inventor of anunidentified selection of Impatiens hawkeri as the male, or pollenparent, with the Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Moorea, disclosed in U.S.Plant Pat. No. 9,147 as the female, or seed parent. The cultivarBalcelilae was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a floweringplant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environmentin Arroyo Grande, Calif. in 1997. Plants of the new Impatiens and thecultivar Moorea differ primarily in flower color.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken atArroyo Grande, Calif., has shown that the unique features of this newImpatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Balcelilae’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Balcelilae’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Light purple-colored flowers with white centers.

2. Upright and mounded plant habit.

3. Good basal branching.

4. Dark green leaves.

The new Impatiens can be compared to the cultivar, Light Lavender II,disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,278. However, in side-by-sidecomparisons conducted by the Inventor in Arroyo Grande, Calif., plantsof the new Impatiens differ from plants of the cultivar Light LavenderII in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Impatiens have smaller leaves with shorter petiolesthan plants of the cultivar Light Lavender II.

2. Plants of the new Impatiens are not as freely flowering as plants ofthe cultivar Light Lavender II.

3. Flower color of plants of the new Impatiens is darker and more bluethan flower color of plants of the cultivar Light Lavender II.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of thenew cultivar as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in coloredreproduction of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightlyfrom the color values cited in the detailed botanical description whichmore accurately describe the actual colors of the new Impatiens. Thephotograph comprises a top perspective view of a typical flowering plantof ‘Balcelilae’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Balcelilae has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype. The following observationsand measurements describe plants about 10 weeks after planting rootedcuttings and grown 10-cm pots in West Chicago, Ill., under commercialpractice in a double-layered acrylic-covered greenhouse with daytemperatures about 21° C., night temperatures about 19° C., and lightlevels about 2,500 to 3,500 footcandles.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Balcelilae.

Parentage:

Male parent.—Unidentified selection of Impatiens hawkeri, not patented.

Female parent.—Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Moorea, disclosed in U.S.Plant Pat. No. 9,147.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 7 days with 18° C.

Time to develop roots.—About 21 days with 18° C.

Rooting description.—Fibrous, fine, freely branching.

Plant description:

Plant form.—Upright and mounded.

Growth and branching habit.—Vigorous. Good basal branching, dense andbushy growth. Appropriate for 10 and 12.5-cm containers.

Crop time.—About 8 to 10 weeks are required to produce a finishedflowering plant from a rooted cutting.

Plant height.—About 15.1 cm.

Lateral branches.—Diameter: About 7 mm. Internode length: About 4.5 cm.Color: Between 146B and 146C with 184B at the nodes and on older stems.

Foliage description.—Leaves simple, generally symmetrical, abundant, inwhorls or opposite. Length: About 6.3 cm. Width: About 2.8 cm. Shape:Broadly lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Serrulate withciliation. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Young leaves, uppersurface: 137A. Young leaves, lower surface: 137D. Fully expanded leaves,upper surface: Darker than 137A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface:137D. Venation, upper surface: 145B. Venation, lower surface: 145B.Petiole: Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Color: 145B.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Light purple-colored flowers. Freely andcontinuously flowering. Flowers arise from leaf axils. Usually abouteight flowers and flower buds per lateral branch. Flowers positionedmostly above the foliage and typically face upright and outward. Flowersroughly rounded in shape. Flowers persistent.

Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In the garden,flowering is continuous from spring until fall.

Flower buds.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm. Shape: Ovoid.Color: Closest to 150D.

Flower size.—Diameter, about 6.3 cm; depth, about 1 cm.

Petals.—Quantity: Five, imbricate. Length: Upper petal, about 2.5 cm;lower petals, about 2 cm. Width: Upper petal, about 4.6 cm; lowerpetals, about 3 cm. Shape: Obovate to obcordate. Apex: Emarginate. Base:Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth. Color: When opening, uppersurface: 81C. When opening, lower surface: 75B. Fully opened, uppersurface: Between 82B and 82C; base, 155D. Fully opened, lower surface:82C; base, 155D.

Spur.—Length: About 5.5 cm. Shape: Narrow and curved. Color: 145D.

Peduncles.—Length: About 4.2 cm. Angle: Erect. Strength: Moderatelystrong. Color: Between 145B and 145C.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Five, anthers fused,filaments free. Anther shape: Obovate. Anther length: About 3 mm. Anthercolor: Transparent. Amount of pollen: Moderate. Pollen color: 158C.Gynoecium: Five-loculate fused. Pistil length: About 5 mm. Style color:144A. Stigma color: 144C. Ovary color: 144A.

Disease resistance: Under commercial conditions, resistance to pathogenscommon to New Guinea Impatiens has not been observed.

Seed development: Seed production has not been observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiensplant named